Other Titles
Rising Star Poster/Presentation
Abstract
Background: Social isolation of the older adult has become a global issue. Social isolation describes the objective state of being lonely, whereas loneliness is a subjective feeling based on relationships (Rohr et al., 2022). In a meta-analysis, 33% of an elderly population experienced social isolation (Ran et al., 2024). Based on the framework of loneliness, social isolation, and associated health outcomes (Barnes et al., 2020), the purpose of this study was to describe experiences of social isolation, loneliness, and strategies that decreased these experiences in older adults following a move to assisted living.
Methods: Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, residents 65 and older (N=10) without cognitive deficits who moved to an assisted living facility in northwest Indiana within the past 3-12 months were interviewed. Participants completed the Mini-Cog© for inclusion prior to answering nine open-ended questions. All interviews were recorded and sent to a professional transcriptionist. After each interview, participants completed the UCLA loneliness scale. Constant comparison was used to identify major categories.
Results: Participants 70-92 years (M=82.20, SD=7.64) were female (80%) and a widow/widower (60%). Three main categories emerged: (a) resolved to leave home, (b) trust in a safe system to meet needs, and (c) having to accept a new normal. UCLA scores demonstrated a moderate degree of loneliness (M=38.25, SD=15.56).
Conclusions: Early detection of social isolation is essential to improve quality of life (Ran et al., 2024) and prevent illness in older adults (Jansson et al., 2021). While loneliness and the need to change residence impacted these older adults, their involvement in the choice to move and receiving a tailored experience improved their transition (Sun et al., 2021). Nurses need to assess how loneliness and isolation impact older adults during a transition to assisted living and develop interventions aimed at improving their experience.
Notes
References: Barnes, T. L., MacLeod, S., Tkatch, R., Ahuja, M., Albright, L., Schaeffer, J., & Yeh, C. (2021). Cumulative effect of loneliness and social isolation on health outcomes among older adults. Aging & Mental Health, 26(7), 1327-1334. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2021.1940096
Jansson, A., Karisto, A., & Pitkälä, K. (2021). Loneliness in assisted living facilities: An exploration of the group process. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 28(5), 354–365. https://doi.org/10.1080/11038128.2019.1690043
Ran, Z., Wei, J., Yang, G., & Yang, C. (2024). Prevalence of social isolation in the elderly: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Geriatric Nursing, 58, 87-97.
Röhr, S., Wittmann, F., Engel, C., Enzenbach, C., Witte, A., Villringer, A., Loffler, M., & Riedel-Heller, S. (2022). Social factors and the prevalence of social isolation in a population-based adult cohort. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiology, 57, 1959–1968. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-021-02174-x
Sun, C., Ding, Y., Cui, Y., Zhu, S., Li, X., Chen, S, Zhou R., & Yu, Y. (2021).The adaptation of older adults’ transition to residential care facilities and cultural factors: A meta-synthesis. BMC Geriatric, 21, 64. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-020-01987-w
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Mixed/Multi Method Research
Keywords:
Promoting Clinical Outcomes, Social Isolation, Older Adults, Aged, Assisted Living Facilities
Recommended Citation
Ottayil, Soniya; Benzing, Bryn; Gonzalez, Alyssa; Harper, Adalynn; Farrar, Ariel; Gaskill, Riley; Haller, Becca; Kessler, Terry; Sheets, Constance; Rayman, Lynette; Airhiagbonkpa, Eugene; Contreras, Giselle Nava; Schuck, Ellie; Fischer, Rachel; and Kessler, Theresa A., "The Experience of Social Isolation in Older Adults Moving to Assisted Living Facilities" (2025). Biennial Convention (CONV). 103.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/convention/2025/posters_2025/103
Conference Name
48th Biennial Convention
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Invited Presentation
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2025-12-10
Funder(s)
Kreft Endowment for the Advancement of Nursing Science; Dr. and Mrs. Rober Good
The Experience of Social Isolation in Older Adults Moving to Assisted Living Facilities
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Background: Social isolation of the older adult has become a global issue. Social isolation describes the objective state of being lonely, whereas loneliness is a subjective feeling based on relationships (Rohr et al., 2022). In a meta-analysis, 33% of an elderly population experienced social isolation (Ran et al., 2024). Based on the framework of loneliness, social isolation, and associated health outcomes (Barnes et al., 2020), the purpose of this study was to describe experiences of social isolation, loneliness, and strategies that decreased these experiences in older adults following a move to assisted living.
Methods: Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, residents 65 and older (N=10) without cognitive deficits who moved to an assisted living facility in northwest Indiana within the past 3-12 months were interviewed. Participants completed the Mini-Cog© for inclusion prior to answering nine open-ended questions. All interviews were recorded and sent to a professional transcriptionist. After each interview, participants completed the UCLA loneliness scale. Constant comparison was used to identify major categories.
Results: Participants 70-92 years (M=82.20, SD=7.64) were female (80%) and a widow/widower (60%). Three main categories emerged: (a) resolved to leave home, (b) trust in a safe system to meet needs, and (c) having to accept a new normal. UCLA scores demonstrated a moderate degree of loneliness (M=38.25, SD=15.56).
Conclusions: Early detection of social isolation is essential to improve quality of life (Ran et al., 2024) and prevent illness in older adults (Jansson et al., 2021). While loneliness and the need to change residence impacted these older adults, their involvement in the choice to move and receiving a tailored experience improved their transition (Sun et al., 2021). Nurses need to assess how loneliness and isolation impact older adults during a transition to assisted living and develop interventions aimed at improving their experience.
Description
Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, 10 residents, newly transitioned to an assisted living facility, were recruited for this study. Residents completed a Mini-Cog Assessment, a demographic form, and the UCLA loneliness scale. Residents answered 9 open-ended questions about their transition. The purpose was to explore the experience of loneliness and social isolation in older adults and to identify strategies that improve the transition process.